Ruger 10/22 Takedown Review

The Ruger 10/22 takedown functions much like it’s older brother, the Ruger 10/22 Carbine. This rifle was specifically designed to function in exactly the same fashion as the standard rifle, but breakdown into two pieces for ease of storage and to make it easier to carry. The takedown model does both and does a fine job. You can easily put this gun in your bag and head to the range without your neighbors knowing what you are carrying out the door with you. One of the main purposes of the creation of the Ruger 10/22 takedown was so that you could carry something that didn’t look like a true rifle while heading out the door. You can shove this rifle in your backpack and throw it in your car to head down to the range and nobody would know the difference. Pretty handy for folks that live in the city or someplace in close quarters where their neighbors may be keeping a close eye on what they are doing on a daily basis.

The best part about the Ruger 10/22 takedown is that it’s fun to shoot. It’s easily just as accurate as my trusty 10/22 carbine and groups at 4 inches 100 yards out. I tested a good friend of mine’s at the range, and first time out of the box for me and I was extremely happy with the results. The benefit of having such an accurate rifle in a takedown model is that it also has a dual purpose as one of the best survival rifles as well. The ability to break the rifle down and remove the barrel also makes it a great survival option because it becomes much easier to clean than the standard carbine version. It makes cleaning your rifle a lot less of a chore and would be optimal in a situation where you were out in the wilderness for an extended period of time.

Comparing accuracy and performance, the 10/22 takedown is on the same wavelength as the 10/22 carbine. The trigger is a little softer and not as “crisp” as some of the other models I have had a chance to shoot. The fact that it is a takedown model also limits the customization options, at least for now. I am sure we will see some aftermarket stocks hit the shelves over the next year that provide the option of being used with the takedown model instead of the standard model. One question I initially had was if the takedown would impact any optics that were sighted in on this rifle. Normally a separated barrel would mess up your bearings and impact your ability to drive down some tacks. Fortunately for us the good folks over at Ruger thought about this and added an adjustable ring that keeps the barrel and receiver held together tightly every time you break it down. This helps limit any variations when you reassemble the rifle and makes you feel a lot more comfortable knowing it’s going to shoot within an inch of where you want it to every time you put it back together.

Overall after having the ability to test one of these out, I would put it on par with my 10/22 carbine as far as handling, accuracy and reliability. Unfortunately the customization options aren’t quite there yet, but I still plan on purchasing one for myself in the future purely for survival reasons. I like the standard Ruger 10/22 takedown stock enough that this could be a valuable asset in any survival situation and allow me to ignore my obsession with customizing my rifles.